2023-17258. Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments for a New Information Collection

AGENCY:

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

The FHWA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval for a new information collection, which is summarized below under Supplementary Information. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES:

October 10, 2023.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket ID 2023–0024 by any of the following methods:

Website: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov.

Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.

Fax: [phone].

Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590–0001.

Hand Delivery or Courier: U.S. Department of Transportation, West Building Ground, Floor, Room W12–140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Lindsey Svendsen, 202–366–2035, or Arnold Feldman, 202–366–2028, Office of Real Estate Services, Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Alternative Uses of the Right of Way.

Background: Government agencies that acquire real property for a Federal-aid highway project in which Federal funds participated in any phase, are charged with managing the acquired property after the project is completed, as described in 23 CFR 710 subpart D—Real Property Management. As a part of this consideration, any excess or available right-of-way (ROW) for potential disposal must be determined and inventoried. Each State Department of Transportation (SDOT) must track, manage and update its inventory continually until the property is disposed.

This survey will collect information that will support analysis of the current state of the practice of Alternative Uses of the ROW nationwide. The report will identify current processes and tools used by SDOTs to identify and track ROW available for alternative uses, the types of alternative use requests they receive, and any safety, operational, or legal issues related to alternative uses. The survey will also identify additional opportunities for improving the existing processes, tools for identifying and tracking ROW that can streamline agencies' Property Management programs and provide information to states that have shown interest in alternative uses.

Respondents: Each of the 52 SDOTs (for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico) will be asked to respond to a written questionnaire. A subset of the state DOT's will be asked to participate in follow up interviews.

Frequency: One-time survey.

Estimated Average Burden per Response: Approximately 2 hours per survey response and 1 hour per interview.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: Approximately 120 hours.

Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspect of this information collection, including: (1) Whether the proposed collection is necessary for the FHWA's performance; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burdens; (3) ways for the FHWA to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the collected information; and (4) ways that the burden could be minimized, including the use of electronic technology, without reducing the quality of the collected information. The agency will summarize and/or include your comments in the request for OMB's clearance of this information collection.

Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. chapter 35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1.48.

Issued on: August 8, 2023.

Michael Howell,

Information Collection Officer.